Façade of Basilica and Convent of San Francisco

Façade of Basilica and Convent of San Francisco

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This richly sculpted stone portal (1774) exhibits deep niches with statues beneath layered arches and broken pediments, creating strong contrasts of light and shadow. Part of the larger monastic complex of San Francisco (1673), now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the façade embodies the visual drama central to colonial Baroque architecture.